Flowers in the Winter

It’s mid winter here in Melbourne Australia and, for many people, it means a drab garden, not much colour here or there. Leaves have fallen, trees are bare, and not a lot of growth is happening. BUT, there are a lot of plants out there that do flower this time of year. Over time, my husband and I have worked towards ensuring we have flowers all the year round – not just for us, but also for the inhabitants of our garden, the birds and the bees and anything else that should visit here. And we’re fortunate to have the space for doing so. But even if you had a small space, or just a balcony, you could still have flowers at this time of year.

We have much winter colour here at home in the Dandenong Ranges. Lots and lots of Salvia, Corea, Kniphofia, Hellebore and the Grevilleas are just starting to show some colour too. Not to mention the Lilac Hibiscus, Abutilon, and Yellow and White Daisy Bushes. Love wandering around our garden to see what’s out. We also have Jonquils and Snowbells in flower too and the Irises are just starting to wake up.

It is lovely to see the Eastern Spinebills flitting from flower to flower, plus multitudes of Fairy-Wrens, Thornbills and several other birds have made our garden their home. And we love to share it with them. I discovered today that there is a Satin Bower Bird that has made its home in a tree in the corner of our park area – it’s private, untouched and surrounded by lots of foliage. It was only because I heard its trills and squeaks that I knew the bird was there. Can’t wait to see it when it wants to come out and show its face.

Why not have a wander around your local area, while out on your daily exercise and see what others have growing successfully in their gardens? These are things you could be growing too.